# Nazanin Mandi

Nazanin Aliza Mandighomi (/ˈnɑːzəniːn/ NAH-zuh-NEEN; born September 11, 1986), known professionally as Nazanin Mandi, is an American actress, singer, model, and life coach.

## Early life and education

Nazanin Mandi was born on September 11, 1986, in Valencia, California. She is of Iranian, Mexican and Native American descent.
Mandi began her modeling career at the age of 10, after being scouted by a photographer at an In-N-Out Burger. At age 15, Mandi performed Mozart's Requiem, K.626 at Carnegie Hall in New York City. During this time, Mandi attended Valencia High School, where she studied jazz and classical music as a soloist in the institution's VHS Choir, alongside actress Naya Rivera. Mandi graduated from Valencia High in June 2004.

## Career
### Modeling and fashion

Mandi was signed to Wilhelmina Models in Los Angeles. She has modeled in print and digital editorials for Vogue, MAXIM, GQ India, Esquire Malaysia, COMPLEX, WMB 3D, Modeliste, Bella Petite, TOKSICK, Galore, Allure, CosmoGirl, Sports Illustrated, and Seventeen. Her ad campaigns include Microsoft, Ecko Unlimited, Good American, Olay, Shiseido, PrettyLittleThing, Missguided, Savage X Fenty, CoverGirl, and Smashbox Cosmetics.
On March 25, 2017, Mandi launched a collaborative collection with swimwear line, Chynna Dolls.

### Acting and music

After seeing an ad on Fox Eleven News, Mandi's mother encouraged her to audition for the inaugural season of the music competition series American Idol. At the age of 15, she made it to the top 35 before being kicked off for not meeting the minimum age requirement of 16. Three years later, Mandi made her acting debut with a guest appearance on the Disney Channel television series That's So Raven. In 2005, she auditioned and competed on the UPN talent competition show R U The Girl. Vying for the opportunity to sing with TLC, Mandi made it to the top nine before being eliminated during the group performance round. Following a few stints in reality television—e.g., Shahs of Sunset, The Platinum Life—and a couple guest star roles—i.e., The Young and the Restless, Twenties—Mandi made her film debut in the 2020 romantic comedy The Last Conception. The film tells the story of an Indian-American lesbian who discovers she is the last hope of continuing her family's ancient bloodline. Mandi is also set to star in the 2021 horror film Dreamcatcher, produced by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
On July 25, 2019, Mandi released her debut single, "FOREVER MOOD", via Billboard. The track was produced by Siviwe "The Code" Mngaza, and co-executive produced by Midian Mathers and her husband, Miguel.

## Endorsements

In 2018, Nazanin became a brand ambassador for fashion retailer, PrettyLittleThing. Two years later, she became an ambassador for online fashion label, Missguided. In July 2020, Mandi was announced as a brand ambassador for Rihanna's size-inclusive lingerie line, Savage X Fenty. In addition to modeling for the brand's Summer and Valentine's Day ad campaigns, Mandi walked and performed alongside her husband, Miguel, in the Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 on October 2, 2020—which premiered on Amazon Prime Video.

## Personal life

At the age of 18, Mandi met singer Miguel on the set of his first music video, "Getcha Hands Up". The two exchanged numbers after Mandi interviewed the singer for a behind-the-scenes promotional DVD. The couple announced their engagement on January 11, 2016, and married on November 24, 2018 at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, in Simi Valley, California. Monique Lhuillier designed her wedding dress. In September 2021, the couple announced their separation, which they called off in January 2022. On October 4, 2022, Mandi filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. She is a cousin of Arienne Mandi.
In addition to inspiring Miguel's Grammy-winning single, "Adorn", Mandi has stated that her debut single, "Forever Mood", is a reply to Miguel's "All I Want Is You".

### Health and activism

As a young adult, Mandi struggled with body dysmorphia, depression, and anxiety—with panic attacks as part of the latter. She openly discusses overcoming her mental and eating disorder, to help promote self-love and encourage inclusive conversations regarding mental health. In August 2019, Mandi was featured in BET's "Body of Work" segment where she spoke about breaking a diet pill habit and her journey towards healthy weight maintenance. In February 2020, Mandi announced she was becoming a life coach and had plans of developing a new self-empowerment platform.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2010 | Cream Soda | Lori | |
| 2020 | The Last Conception | Savarna Sikand | |
| 2020 | Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 2 | Herself | Prime Originals Special |
| 2021 | Dreamcatcher | Kya | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Next Big Star | Herself | Finalist; Ed McMahon's Star Search spin-off |
| 2002 | American Idol | Herself | Top 35 Contestant (Hollywood Week) |
| 2004 | That's So Raven | Vicky | Episode: "Psychic Eye for the Sloppy Guy" |
| 2005 | R U the Girl | Herself | Contestant (4 episodes) |
| 2006 | The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency | Herself | Episode: "Get Down to Business..." |
| 2011 | Rockstar Academy | Herself | Series regular |
| 2012 | Shahs of Sunset | Herself | Episode: "I Love You But I Don't Like You" |
| 2017 | How to Make a Reality Star | Begonia | Main role (8 episodes) |
| 2017 | The Platinum Life | Herself | Main role (4 episodes) |
| 2019 | The Young and the Restless | Nazanin | Episode: "Episode #1.11683" |
| 2020 | Twenties | Soraya | Episode: "You Know How I Like It" |
| 2021 | Games People Play | Zara | Episode: "Episode #2.1" |

### Guest appearances

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref |
| 2018 | The Real | Herself | Episode: Nazanin Mandi/Tap Out/Holiday Steals | |
| 2020 | Entertainment Tonight | Herself | Episode: SNL New Season Secrets! | |

### Commercials

| Year | Company / Product | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2019 | Cîroc Vodka | CÎROC: What Men Want | Friend | Co-branded comedy short |
| 2019 | What Men Want | CÎROC: What Men Want | Friend | Co-branded comedy short |
| 2020 | Maserati | The Road Less Traveled | Herself | Produced by Vogue and GQ |

### Music videos

| Year | Title | Artist(s) |
| 2006 | "Getcha Hands Up" (Behind-the-scenes Promotional DVD) | Miguel |
| 2006 | "Dime Piece" (featuring Izzy) | Nick Cannon |
| 2007 | "Anonymous" (featuring Timbaland) | Bobby Valentino |
| 2011 | "Girls Like You" | Miguel |
| 2012 | "Do You..." | Miguel |
| 2015 | "Coffee" | Miguel |

## Discography
### Singles

* "Forever Mood" (2019)

### Music videos

* "Forever Mood" (2019), directed by Life Garland